April Hall
June 16, 2009
Arsenal Center For The Arts
321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472
2009 Summer Pops Series First Concert
Tickets $15 Adults, $10 Children, Free Parking
April Hall put some serious energy into the concert at around 8:30 PM, which was unfortunate since the set began forty five minutes earlier. Hall and her trio were the opening concert for the Arsenal Center for the Arts 2009 Summer Pops Series.
The hour-long set featured many songs on Hall's recent album "Fun Out Of Life," the emphasis on ballads, with a handful of upbeat songs for balance. Ms. Hall sang the songs but didn’t seem to feel them. And when you’re singing songs like “How Deep Is The Ocean,” if you don’t feel them, they don’t fly.
Her chops tonight didn’t square with the reputation of this Berkelee graduate who has appeared on stage with the likes of Al Jarreau, Rosemary Clooney, Dinah Shore, and Livingston Taylor.
Lovely ballads were frequently marred by what seemed to be Hall’s skidding off pitch. It happened so often I began to wonder whether she purposely chooses to stretch her pitch as a signature style.
The audience in the partly filled Charles Mosesian Theater was appreciative enough. Perhaps I was missing something. One thing I didn’t miss was the enormous talent of her trio.
Marshall Wood, on upright bass, Les Harris, Jr. on percussion, and Ben Cook on Kursweil Roland electric piano, found the mood of each song with every solo they played - applause ringing from the audience, school-age kids to retirées, after each.
Then came the Count Basie/Jimmy Rushing song “I May Be Wrong But I Won’t Be Wrong Always.” Ms. Hall switched from cruise control to charge. The song shot right across the footlights and landed like a howitzer in the middle of the audience. There had been hints of Hall’s gospel and blues background here and there during the concert. Where had Miss Hall been hiding this all night?
Hall returned with a one song encore, “Please Send Me Someone To Love,” in which she and the trio jammed home. She had finally arrived.
Set List
“My Baby Just Cares For Me” Ballad
“The Face I Love” Samba tribute to Astrud Gilberto, Hall adding creditable scatting at end
“I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry” Ballad
“The Best Thing For You Would Be Me” Peppy uptempo song
“Crazy In Love” Ballad
“Maybe I’m Right And Maybe I’m Wrong” Uptempo
“How Deep Is The Ocean” Ballad
“You’ve Changed” Ballad
“I May Be Wrong But I Won’t Be Wrong Always” Swing tempo, lively, with feeling
“Please Send Me Someone To Love” energetic finale
Next concert: Harlem Quartet, June 24, Summer Pops concerts begin at 7:30 PM
Top photo: April Hall web site
Bottom: pt at large
Phew - poor April! Rarely have I seen a review like this one from you - negative, I mean. The paragraph where you say the song shot right out and landed like a howitzer is just great! Nice that she redeemed herself a bit.
Posted by: Susaan | June 21, 2009 at 10:37 AM